Huffman, Hailey

December 14, 2016

English, Period 4

Number The Stars

Lois Lowry

Historical Fiction

138

Newbery Medal: 1990

       




The novel, Number The Stars, by Lois Lowry, is about a girl named Annemarie Johansen who

starts to become part of the rescue of the Danish Jews where Jews were helped to go to Sweden just

to not be in any concentration camps. She has a friend named Ellen who she takes care of  and she

takes care of her sister, Kristi. Nazis came to Germany and they are forcing people to do what they

say. Annemarie misses her older sister that died when the war begun but she died because of natural causes which made her a little depressed and not in the mood to fight. The Nazis are taking Jews somewhere where they don’t know and curiosity is almost catching up to Annemarie. Some families, such as the Johansens, helped their Jewish friends which was a great help to everyone else. Mrs. Johansen keeps Annemarie, Ellen, and Annemarie’s sister safe just so they can go to a funeral that actually wasn’t real because they just wanted an excuse to be alone so the Nazis wouldn’t be so suspicious about so many people being in one house. Annemarie then has to give a lost package to Henrik. Her mother can’t give it to Henrik because she is injured so Annemarie gathered her courage and braveness and had to give it. Henrik and Ellen’s family hide in a boat where there are Nazis to be seen but the search dogs and Nazis didn’t find any humans. Little did they really know that the package had something in it that kept them hidden. So Annemarie saved them all. The boat eventually escaped and went to Sweden with Ellen and her family. They were safe.

         This book was really surprising because nobody would expect all that terrible stuff to happen that quickly. It’s amazing that someone so young can be so brave and courageous. The end was so sad because she kept a necklace that Ellen gave to her and she wore it until Ellen came back. I would really recommend to those who like to read about World War II and to those who would like to learn more about wars and what really happened to the Jews. The author really had a way that just made you keep reading. Any person who reads this would want to read more.

“She fell asleep, and it was asleep as thin as the night clouds, dotted with dreams that came and went like the stars.”